Lawyers, there are very few problems that cannot be solved if you are responsive.
From what I have observed, many disciplinary complaints against lawyers don't always necessarily have to do with some massive legal error/mistake. It's usually a slow boil, when something goes wrong and the lawyer simply stops engaging.
The client messages you, you do not reply, they follow up, you still do not reply. They ask what is happening with their matter, you ghost them.
A problem that could probably have been resolved with one proper conversation then escalates into anger, distrust and eventually a complaint to the Bar.
Dishonesty and serious misconduct are obviously a different category, e.g. misappropriation of client stakeholder sums.
But for many service-related problems, the issue is still recoverable if you respond early, acknowledge what went wrong and give the client a proper solution.
In fact, a good service recovery can sometimes IMPROVE the client's view of you. No reasonable client expects everything to go perfectly all the time, but they will remember how you behave when something goes wrong.
If you identify the problem, take responsibility for fixing it and give them a clear solution, the client may actually walk away thinking, "Okay, this lawyer knows how to handle problems."
This shows your accountability, builds trust and can even lead to more referrals down the road.
A lot of disciplinary problems could probably have been stopped several steps earlier with one simple thing: reply your client.
Rudi Cheu (rudi@rulecolaw.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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